Mr. Speaker, as temperatures drop and nights grow longer, winter is coming. But Northerners aren't afraid of White Walkers or of Undead Dragons. No, they're bracing for power bills they simply cannot afford. My constituents can't remember the last time they caught a break on their energy bills, and with each passing year they're forced to make even harder choices just to keep the lights on. It's no surprise that the cost of electricity is one of the most frequent concerns I hear about as an MLA. Northerners have a right to be frustrated when they are paying the highest power costs in the country, and as life becomes increasingly more unaffordable, these costs pile up. Yet every time my colleagues and I raise this issue on the floor of this House, we're told there's no problem. The Minister has a plan, a subsidy, a strategy, an investment. It's all very complicated economic stuff, we're told. But don't worry, it'll work out so don't think too hard about it.
Well, Mr. Speaker, it's time to worry because this government is pouring millions of dollars into our energy grid to reverse the upward trend of our electricity prices, and it's clearly not working. Costs are escalating, outages are increasing. And who's footing the bill? Taxpayers. Now the Minister must answer not only to an affordability crisis caused by soaring electricity costs but also to constituents demanding to know why every move this government makes on the energy file only leads to higher costs and ultimately higher taxes.
Mr. Speaker, a responsible government is a responsive government. When our constituents are hurting, it's not enough to just listen; we have a duty to act. This government talks about affordability, but their commitments haven't been backed by real solutions to our energy issues. What working people need are real policies that make a real difference in their lives for them and their family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Frame Lake.
